Dr Karpagam D By Express News Service CHENNAI: The festival of Holi heralds the arrival of spring. Celebrated with joy and colours, Holi spells new beginnings as the sun begins to shine brighter on us. Over the years, natural colours that are used on this day have been replaced by metallic and synthetic colours. These toxic substances can harm one’s skin, hair and eyes. These colours can cause irritation and/or allergies, infections, and sometimes even temporary blindness. DOs Layer up: The skin around your eyes is the most sensitive region. Apply a generous amount of coconut oil or almond oil around your eyes before you go out. Bring the shades on: Apart from that cool look with your sunglasses, your eyes stay protected too. Wash it away: If the colour accidentally enters your eye, clean your hands, gently lower your face, and try opening your eyes and blink frequently. Do not splash water into the eye, since that can aggravate the injury. Visit the doctor: In case of persistent redness, watering, discharge, itching, discomfort, trauma or bleeding, consult an eye care professional immediately. Stay cautious: Take precautionary measure to not to let anyone smear the colours anywhere near the eye. In case your attempts fail, keep your eyes and lips tightly shut, when the colours are being applied. DON’Ts DON’Ts Never rub: In case colours enter your eyes, refrain from rubbing them as this may cause irritation and more damage to your eyes. Skip the balloons: Refrain from using water balloons. These are the most dangerous and can cause blunt trauma to the eye which may lead to bleeding, lens subluxation or dislocation, macular edema or retinal detachment. This may lead to loss of vision. These are all eye emergencies and need to be looked into immediately by an ophthalmologist. Keep your hands off: Do not try to remove any particle in your eye using a handkerchief or tissue; it will only make things worse. Those with spectacles, beware: Ask a bespectacled person before smearing colours on their face, or else you could even hurt the person with his/her own spectacles. People wearing spectacles face a lot of trouble during Holi celebrations. The colours tends to settle in the tiny spaces of the frame. Wearing rimless spectacles on Holi may cause it to break. Best to keep the fancy pair home! Ditch your contact lenses: It is best advised to avoid contact lenses, or opt for a daily disposable one if you must, as it may cause more harm than good. Due to its water-absorbing properties, contact lenses tend to concentrate any coloured water that enters the eye increasing the risk of allergies and infections. Do not hesitate to contact your lens specialist for further guidance. The writer is a senior consultant - ophthalmologist, Dr Agarwal Eye Hospital, Chennai

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